Hello Friends,
My health has finally taken a turn for the better and I thank God for that!!! Glory be to Him! It's amazing how our quality of life declines without our health. It has been a LONG journey, and now I will work on the recovery and strengthening phase. But I can begin to focus on living instead of ENDLESS medical appointments, which truthfully, feels awkward.
Anyhow, I am sharing a graduation layout of my oldest niece. I recall changing her diapers, her kinder year, and now she is entering college! Oh, time, you are so cruel with your speed.
I kept the design clean and simple because I wanted to focus on the journaling.
I wrote the name of her high school on the gown sticker with a gel pen.
I don't know why my camera makes my layout appear curved. Any ideas?
(Supplies: cardstock, pattern paper & stickers from my stash, adhesive, gel pen)
Some of my favorite layouts are quick and simple with room for a big message of love.
Have a wonderful weekend and take time to focus on you. Because self-care is a necessity, NOT a luxury.
Health & Happy Crafting,
Angie
(Psm. 119:116)
Hello Y'all!
Happy 4th of July!! Got any fun plans for today? Since it's SUPER hot (102 degrees), I'll be staying indoors. :)
I know it has been a while since my last post (again). But I've been having a hard time getting inspired. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that part of my craft room is residing in my living room. By the time I've finished gathering my supplies from both areas, I'm out of inspiration, energy, & time.
Well, today I am sharing a layout that is quite personal. I've had this idea in mind for about a year: to document my health (or lack of it). So I created the images with my Cameo and then put them away because I wasn't sure how to design the layout. I finally decided to just tell the "story," so this layout is not fancy or brilliant.
Here it is:
I added some distress ink around the edges to "grunge" it up a bit. This picture wasn't taken during one of my ill moments. Thank goodness, because who wants a picture in one of those one-size-fits-all hospital gowns?! ;)
(Supplies: cardstock; pattern paper- BoBunny; Cameo; stickers- October Afternoon)
I actually tried to blur the journaling, but then realized that it's part of my journey.
I'd like to add this to the following challenge:
Scrap-challenge-Yourself: Anything Goes
Thank you kindly for stopping in. Wishing you a safe and HEALTHY holiday.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Well, HELLO there! It has been forrreeeever since I've posted.
I have a good reason though. Well, they might not be all that good: ;)
1) March was so physically and emotionally draining, that it has taken this long to recuperate.
2) I had to step down from the design team at Scrapping 4 Fun Challenges
for personal reasons. :(
3) The creativity juices were completely dry and it was difficult to get inspired.
4) I have been SO drained after work that I barely have enough energy to eat dinner (especially on nights when I tutor).
5) And my weekends have been too busy.
So how have you been lately? :D
Well, folks, I finally had enough of this no-crafty-inspiration thing, so I decided to search for a challenge blog to spark my creativity and I came across this sketch from scrap-challenge-yourself.
The purpose of this challenge blog is to include yourself in your layouts. Kind of a difficult thing when I prefer to be behind the camera. ;)
Now, I must confess that I almost decided against this challenge because the sketch was a bit too "busy" for me. I know, I know: there's lots of "white" space. I think the circles were throwing me off.
Anyway, here is my interpretation:
See that sweet, little, old lady? That's my husband's granny. She was 90 at that time! She is 99 and STILL travels alone. Oh, and that large dome behind us? A telescope. :D
(Supplies: cardstock; scraps; "wooden" stars, star stamp, & large sticker letters- Ali Edwards; washi tape)
The journaling reads:
On my 2nd trip to Arizona, my hubby (boyfriend at the time) surprised me with a trip, on my birthday, to Kitt Peak observatory. We had to walk around quietly due to the astronomers & scientist sleeping. Seeing those gigantic telescopes was pretty amazing. By the way, getting there required us to go around & around the edge of the mountain. Scary!
Well, that's all for now. I SO appreciate you hanging in there till the end. :D
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Hello Y'all!
How are you doing? It seems like some of you might be buried in snow based on the news. I'll make a deal with you. Save some of that snow and ship it to me in the summer, and I'll send you some sun. (Ha! Just noticed all the alliteration in this sentence.) Deal? ;)
So, I'm stopping by to share my latest project for Scrapping 4 Fun Challenges. The new challenge is to use your country's flag colors in your project, therefore I used red, white, & blue. Truth be told, I wasn't born in the good ole U.S.A. However, I've adopted this great land of freedom as my home.
Let's begin. :)
See those lines across my picture? That's courtesy of my printer. :(
This layout isn't packed with great embellishments or any fancy techniques. Many times I struggle with creating layouts because I want them to be "trendy" and cute. But my whole philosophy of scrapbooking is to document my story and memories. And when I focus back to my philosophy, I let go of those standards and just tell and my story.
(Supplies: cardstock; washi tape; letter stickers; star stickers- Heidi Swapp; sewing machine)
So what project will you create with your flag's colors? Have some fun and then link it up here.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to visit me. :D
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!
How are you doing? Are you ready for turkey and stuffing, U.S. peeps? ;)
Well, it has been very quiet around this blog lately due to a loss in our family. My mind hasn't been in a creative mood for a while. And even when my hands desire to create, my mind is usually blank.
However, today I am sharing a layout that I managed to create for the new challenge at Scrapping 4 Fun Challenges. The challenge is "anything goes." Since we are celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S. this Thursday the 27th, I decided to create a layout of the things I'm grateful for.
I'm so grateful for MANY things, but I narrowed it down to family, friends, and education/career.
I fussy cut the leaves from pattern paper, which has these golden swirls that reflect the light. So pretty in real life.
I cut small tags for my journaling and tucked them under the leaves.
I wanted to make all my pictures into black and white ones, but my printer was not cooperating. The kid who's sitting like a frog is my brother and I always say "ribbet" each time I see this picture. ;)
(Supplies: cardstock; pattern paper; journaling tags; alphabet stickers; stamp- Heidi Swapp)
Ok, friends, take some time to have some crafty fun and share your project with us at Scrapping 4 Fun Challenges.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with all your loved ones.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Howdy Friends!!
How are you? Got any big plans for the weekend? Whatever is on your schedule, I hope you enjoy it. My plan is to avoid this horrendous 100+ heat. Some of you in blog land are already talking about Fall and the cooler temperatures, but apparently it hasn't arrived in our town. :(
Anyways, I am stopping by because I was able to sneak in a tiny bit of crafting throughout the week. :D Plus, I still had some pretty paper left over from my previous DT project. Let's begin!
I used a glitter pen to add some shine and pizzazz.
My precious niece back in 2009.
(Supplies: cardstock; pattern paper- Carta Bella; wooden buttons- Jillibean Soup; banner punch- Fiskars; butterfly punch- Martha Stewart; stickers- Me and My Big Ideas; twine; sewing machine; glitter pen)
By the way, want to know what inspired my colors? Go check it out here. ;) Ok, friends, time for me to skedaddle. Please know that I completely appreciate your visit. :D
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Howdy Y'all!
How are you? Are you staying cool? Are you getting lots of crafting done?...
My crafting time has been sporadic due to headaches, mini road trips, and now Jury Duty. So I apologize for the long pauses between my posts. Hopefully, I'll get back to a crafting routine soon. :D
Well, on to the crafting! I am sharing a layout that I scrap-lifted from the super talented Mendi Yoshikawa. I love her clean, colorful style.
Let's begin with some details:
I used a silver gel pen to create faux stitching.
These are old high school prom pictures, so no matter where I placed the layout to photograph, I kept getting a glare. My apologies.
(Supplies: cardstock; pattern paper- Teresa Collins & scraps; round and star paper punches; gel pen; letter stickers)
Ok, did you catch my embarrassing mistake? I didn't even notice until I was editing the pictures that the red strips aren't straight!! Horrors! I considered cancelling this post, but since I have to be at Jury Duty bright and early, I knew that I wouldn't have time in the morning to fix it and type the post. {Use a ruler, Angie!!! I'm scolding myself, just so you know. ;)}
Well, dear friends, thank you so very, very much for your visit. Hope to see you soon.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Hello All!
Are you enjoying this week? How many of you have finished your Christmas shopping? Me? Not at all!!! I better hurry, though...
Well, today I am popping in to share a layout. I struggled with this layout because I didn't have coordinating papers or embellishments. In fact, I never do. I think I really need to start buying kits. Hmmm...
So here is the result:
A few detail pictures first. (Tried to create "subway" style stamping)
I just LOVE those chipmunk cheeks! :D
(Supplies: pattern paper- Recollections, washi tape, sequins, twine- My Mind's Eye, Journaling card, stickers- Bella Blvd. & Kelly Panacci, stamps- Papertrey Ink, ink- Prima)
This is what I love about scrapbooking- documenting life. Well, I have LOTS to do so better run. Have an awesome day and thank you for visiting. :D
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Happy Weekend!
I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Mine has been great so far. :)
I have been working on some layouts for the past couple of weeks. And even though I completely enjoy this craft, I found myself getting super frustrated. One of the reasons for my frustration is the fact that I don't always have the right colors, patterns/style of papers or embellishments. Another reason is that my layouts don't look like the cool, trendy, popular ones in magazines or online.
But I finally came across a quote that was eye-opening & sooo liberating [insert a chorus of angels singing here ;)]:
"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works;
if from the head, almost nothing." -Marc Chagall
BINGO. So I just need to do the best I can with my limited resources and stop overthinking things.
Kind of ironic now that I think of it. The reason I named my blog "Heart 'n Soul Crafts" is because those are ingredients in each of my projects. Ay ya yay!
Sorry for the wordy intro. Here is one of my "overthinking" layouts. :)
(Supplies: pattern paper- Recollections, cardstock, sequins, stickers, stitching)
It saddens me to know that he is my last living grandparent, but I'm glad for moments like these. And at 92, he is still able to do a lot on his own.
Well, time for me to go create from my heart. :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend and as always, THANK YOU for stopping by.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Howdy Y'all!
I've been spending some time in my "wanna be" craft room these past several days and realized that I hadn't updated my blog. Yikes.
So today I am sharing a layout based on the Artful Delight November sketch.
I apologize for the grainy picture, since I used an older photo of me and my BFF. :) She is truly a lovely person inside and out and I am grateful to have her as my friend.
(Supplies: pattern paper, cardstock, die cut flowers, sequins, machine stitching)
Ok, I've got a little confession- for some reason I have a hard time making 1 picture layouts. There, I said it. But hopefully, I'll get better at it.
Thank you all for stopping by my little blog land and have a wonderful day.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Happy Veteran's Day!
I've never been in the military, but I want to say "THANK YOU" to all the brave men and women who have helped ensure and protect our freedom. I appreciate ALL you are doing and have done in serving this country.
And speaking of gratitude, I am sharing a "grateful" layout today. I have taken 2 challenges and combined them on a layout. Here are the challenges:
1. I used the colors from the photo inspiration challenge at City Crafter Challenge Blog
I just love this color palette.
2. The layout sketch from Sketch N Scrap blog
And here is my layout:
And some detail pictures:
I used modeling paste for the first time. I was apprehensive at first and didn't want to ruin the layout. But I think I'm a new fan of it, even though the results were less than stellar for my first try.
(Supplies: cardstock, pattern paper- Creative Imaginations, sequins, modeling paste, stencil- Prima, photo corners, rub-on words- Deja Views, typewriter, stitching)
I am truly grateful for the family God has given me. I think I am going to continue documenting my gratitude for the rest of November. How about you? What are you grateful for?
One more thing I am grateful for is when you take the time to visit my little blog world. :) I appreciate you!
Happy Crafting,
Angie
P.S. I have deleted the section regarding My Mind's Eye. I will not be entering that challenge, but for some reason the updates aren't being saved. Therefore, I'm only entering 2 challenges. I apologize for the confusion.
Howdy!
How are ya'll doing? Almost the weekend!!! Yay!...
Aside from crafting, another interest of mine is traveling (although I don't get to do it much). So today I am sharing a layout regarding my trip to Yellowstone National Park. This trip was my college graduation gift from me to me. :p Most people throw graduation parties. I took a rode trip. :o)
Yellowstone touches 3 states (Idaho, Montana, & Wyoming), so I didn't even get to see HALF of it. I guess that means I need to return. :)
Pg. 1
Old Faithful Geyser goes off about every 90 minutes. Super cool sight.
Pg. 2
(Supplies: grey & blue cardstock, stamps- Heidi Swapp, pocket page cards- Me & My Big Ideas, stickers)
Yellowstone is a pretty spectacular place. So if you get a chance, check it out.
And thank you for checking out my blog. I do appreciate it when you stop by.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Hello!
The day is about to end, so I'm popping in with a quick post. Here are more projects that I completed at the crop session.
This was my nephew's baptism. He was a cutie and still is! :)
(Supplies: pattern paper- Glitz, cardstock, paper punch- Martha Stewart, letter stickers, flourish stamp- Inkadinkado, black pearl- Queen & Co.)
The next layout is of my niece's baptism. She was a cutie, also, and still is! :)
(Supplies: pattern paper- Mixed Company by Heidi Swapp, ribbon, cardstock- red & black, glue dots, paper punch- Martha Stewart)
Sorry for the grainy pictures. I'm making a mental note to take my photos outdoors, if possible, and maybe order non-glossy prints.
Thanks for sticking around a bit. I am glad that you came. Have a wonderful night or day (depending on your part of the world). :)
Happy Crafting,
Angie
Hello Everyone!
I hope you enjoyed your weekend. My weekend was bittersweet. The sweet part was that I was able to participate in a crop session at our local scrapbooking store. :) The bitter part is that our scrapbooking store is closing!! I am sooooo bummed about that. Joann's and Michaels, which I dearly love, don't carry the amount of paper selection that "my" store does. What am I to do now?!!!? How about one of you come open a scrapbooking store? :)
Anyhow, today I am sharing some projects that I did at the crop session. First, a Christmas card. The ornament was cut out using my Cameo. I inked the sentiment banner using Pastel Blue ink
(Supplies: Cameo, music sheet embossing folder- Tim Holtz, alphabet stamp- Hero Arts, ink- Pastel Blue & black, pearl- Doodle Bug, glitter glue- Martha Stewart)
Next, a 2 page layout. But before I go any further, I want to share my philosophy regarding scrapbooking. For me, it's about the pictures and the story behind them. Everything else, such as embellishments, is secondary. And I prefer a clean and simple style. However, I am trying other styles, but I don't always succeed. With that disclaimer, let's carry on. :)
I used the October sketch #42 from Sketch-N-Scrap. I will be adding the first page to their sketch contest. Here is their sketch.
Here is my interpretation:
Page 2:
The concept behind this page was to create a "timeline" of our event. However, I feel that my writing ruined it. Oh, well. Life goes on.
(Note: I wasn't happy with my writing, so I redid the time line) :)
Here are some detail pictures.
I think Sixto was the winner in the "Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey" game. ;-)
(Supplies: pattern paper, Flower die-cuts- Big Shot, banner punch- Fiskars, twine- My Minds Eye, sequins, stickers- letters & flip-flops, radio & subtitle- Cameo, glitter glue- Martha Stewart)
College was stressful, but the friendships I made through that experience are priceless. And these are some of my valuable friends.
Thank you so, so, so much for giving me some of your time.
Happy Crafting,
Angie
